Energy Evolution

14 episodes scanned.

Recent Episodes

1. Carbon removal's coming of age: BECCS and the future of carbon markets

   Nov 3, 2026

   Jan-Willem Bode, president of Puro.earth, joins host Eklavya Gupte with Alex Clayton of Gevo and Kaja Voss of Inherit Carbon Solutions to assess whether bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) has moved from ambition to delivery. The discussion covers buyer growth and finance structures in carbon removal markets, the contrast between US and European policy, biomass sourcing and MRV scrutiny, and BECCS's expected role in volume carbon removal by 2030.

2. Challenger chemistry: One start-up's bullish take on sodium-ion battery storage

   Oct 27, 2026

   Landon Mossburg, CEO and co-founder of Peak Energy, joins Platts reporter Garrett Hering for a fireside chat recorded at the American Clean Power Association's RECHARGE energy storage conference in Aurora, Colorado. He argues that sodium-ion batteries, particularly the NFPP cathode chemistry, could grow from under 1% of global storage capacity to a significant share by 2030 due to passive cooling, safety, longer life, and reuse of existing LFP manufacturing lines. The discussion also covers data center applications, domestic supply chain risks, bankability and insurance milestones, and audience questions on sodium-ion chemistry variants and hard carbon anode bottlenecks.

3. How much new gas capacity does the Texas grid need?

   Oct 20, 2026

   Recorded live at the Gulf Coast Power Association's fall conference in Austin, this Energy Evolution episode features a panel on ERCOT's grid reliability, record summer 2026 demand, and low power prices. David Dardis of Constellation Energy, Elaina Ball of CPS Energy, and Mason Lester of S&P Global Energy discuss whether Texas needs new dispatchable gas capacity, the Texas Energy Fund loan program, and how Texas compares with other competitive markets. The conversation covers the investment gap for merchant gas plants, the role of demand response and storage, and large data center load growth.

4. Inside CBAM's first year: what traders, importers and policymakers learned

   Oct 13, 2026

   Host Eklavya Gupte speaks with Alwyn Hopkins of EY, Dan Maleski of the EY Global Tax Center of Excellence, and Irina Breilean of Platts (S&P Global Energy) about nearly a year of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in its definitive phase. The discussion covers how default emissions values are raising costs for steel, fertilizer and other imports, how traders are using proxy hedges, and why 2027 will bring live cash flow pressure. It also looks at the UK's CBAM launching in 2027, the CBAM 2.0 downstream expansion, and the geopolitical disputes around the policy.

5. AI's power boom tests Big Tech's net-zero promises

   Oct 6, 2026

   Tech reporter Stefan Modrich presents findings from S&P Global's survey of the top 30 IT companies by market cap, tracking their net-zero emissions targets across scopes 1, 2, and 3. The analysis reveals tension between ambitious climate pledges and rising carbon footprints driven by AI infrastructure buildout, with companies like Amazon matching 100% of electricity consumption with renewables while simultaneously increasing overall emissions 16%. Modrich discusses insights from industry experts including RMI and the Science-Based Targets Initiative, highlighting skepticism about voluntary corporate commitments when they conflict with the commercial imperative to secure power rapidly and cheaply.

6. AI-powered threats put Europe's power system on high alert

   Sep 29, 2026

   Host Camilla Naschert interviews Kristian Ruby, CEO of Eurelectric, and Albéric Mongrenier, Executive Director of the European Initiative for Energy Security, about AI-enabled cyber and physical threats to Europe's power infrastructure. The discussion covers the evolving threat landscape from state-backed and non-state actors, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the dual challenge of deploying AI defensively while adversaries use it offensively. They examine regulatory frameworks, investment gaps, and the need for civilian-military coordination to protect critical energy systems across Europe.

7. Checking in on US offshore wind: Lease buybacks and legal blowback

   Sep 22, 2026

   Renewables reporter Noah Schwartz discusses the Trump administration's shift in strategy against US offshore wind development, moving from legal stop-work orders to lease buyback deals that require developers to invest in fossil fuel projects in exchange for government reimbursement. The episode examines the financial pressures on developers, the legal challenges being mounted by states, and national security arguments being used to justify the policy, featuring analysis from S&P Global Energy analyst John Murray and former BOEM director Liz Klein.

8. AI demand is intensifying the race to build advanced nuclear reactors

   Sep 15, 2026

   Craig Bealmear, CFO of advanced nuclear reactor developer Oklo Inc., discusses the state of the advanced nuclear sector and the race to commercialize small modular reactor designs. The episode covers Oklo's Aurora fast neutron reactor, the company's 2028 commercialization target for its first Idaho Falls powerhouse, and the broader competitive landscape where dozens of private startups and established companies are developing advanced reactors to meet surging electricity demand from data centers and hyperscalers. Key themes include regulatory pathways, fuel supply chain development, capital financing strategies, and how federal policy under both administrations has accelerated the sector's progress.

9. Global diesel shortages squeeze the Americas

   Sep 10, 2026

   This episode explores the global diesel shortage affecting the Americas, driven by constraints in Russia and the Middle East. Janet McGurty, Kauanna Navarro, and Carlos Castillo discuss how US Gulf Coast refiners have become swing suppliers at near-100% capacity, Brazil's shift from Russian to US and Indian diesel imports, and the limited refinery spare capacity leaving markets vulnerable to supply disruptions.

10. War and decarbonization: Rewriting the UK and Europe's refining future

    Sep 8, 2026

    Elizabeth de Jong, CEO of Fuels Industry UK, discusses how the Middle East conflict has exposed the UK's vulnerability to fuel supply shocks, with the country now importing 55% of diesel and down to just 4 refineries from 18 in the 1970s. She argues that carbon costs under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme have driven refinery closures through carbon leakage, and advocates for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to level the playing field against lower-cost competitors. De Jong warns that record refining margins during the current crisis mask structural uncompetitiveness and that without decisive government policy signals—particularly around carbon costs and import protections—the UK risks weakening its energy security and decarbonization prospects.